Workshops
Classes for podcasters who are just getting started.
Hands-on workshops on the fundamentals: gear, recording, editing, hosting, podcast trailers, and getting your first ten listeners. Open to anyone for a small registration fee, free for ARKAST members.
The first few months of a podcast involve the most unfamiliar decisions. You are choosing a microphone you have never used, reading specifications for software you have never heard of, and deciding whether episodes should run twenty minutes or an hour before you have recorded one. The Collab’s classes are set up so those decisions get made with help.
Each class covers one part of the process: gear, the recording session, editing, the hosting platform, the trailer, or the launch. They are taught by working Arkansas podcasters who have run the same setup on their own shows. A single session is scoped to one problem rather than to podcasting in general.
Classes run in Central Arkansas, with Northwest Arkansas sessions added on a rolling basis. Most sessions run about two hours, in person, and groups are kept small enough that everyone can ask questions during the session.
If your show is already published and you are past the basics, the mentorship program is a better fit. If you have ten or more episodes and want help with growth, distribution, and guests, look at long-term support.
What Gets Covered
Topics we teach.
Classes rotate through these subject areas. Schedule shifts season to season, so check the events page for what's next.
Podcast trailers
How to write, voice, and pace a trailer, and the file and length specifications each platform expects for one.
Gear and setup
How to choose a microphone, an audio interface, and recording software, which starter kits sound good at a low price, and which upgrades are worth making later.
Recording and editing
Mic technique, room treatment on a budget, levels, and an editing workflow that doesn't take you twelve hours to chop a one-hour conversation.
Hosting and distribution
Choosing a host, getting your RSS feed onto Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the rest, and what each of those dashboards actually tells you.
Format and pacing
How to choose among solo, co-host, interview, and narrative formats, and how episode length and release schedule affect whether listeners finish an episode.
Launch and your first ten listeners
Cover art, show notes, how to ask friends and family to listen, and which launch-week steps keep paying off across a season.
Process
How classes work.
Pick a class
Upcoming sessions are listed on the events page. Each listing gives the topic, the date, the location, and the instructor.
Register
Small registration fee for non-members, free for ARKAST members. Sign up through the event listing or send a note via the contact form.
Attend the session
Each class includes hands-on work, so you leave with notes, recordings, or a finished piece of your show.
FAQ
Common questions.
No. Classes are open to anyone for a small registration fee. ARKAST members attend free as part of their membership.
Bring what you have. We supply mics, recorders, and laptops for hands-on portions when needed. If you already own equipment, bring it so we can dial it in with you.
That is who most of these classes are for. We expect people walking in with an idea, a notebook, and a stack of questions. We are not expecting a launched show.
Most classes meet in Central Arkansas. We are adding Northwest Arkansas sessions on a rolling basis. Check the events page for the next scheduled class.
Get Started
Sign up for your first class.
Send a note describing what you want to learn and we will point you to the next session on that topic, or add you to the email list if nothing is scheduled yet.